Special Study
Are Embedded Microchips a Sign of the Last Days?
A Summary of Gary DeMar's Biblical Analysis
Every new technology seems to trigger the same response from prophecy speculators: "This must be the mark of the beast!" From bar codes in the 1970s to microchip implants today, end-times enthusiasts consistently misinterpret Revelation 13, seeing modern fulfillment where the Bible speaks of ancient realities.
Gary DeMar's analysis cuts through the technological hysteria to reveal what the "mark of the beast" actually meant to first-century Christians—and why getting caught up in microchip mania misses the profound theological truth John was communicating.
The Universal Product Code (UPC) hysteria began in 1974 when the first bar code was scanned at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio. Prophecy enthusiasts immediately claimed the three longer vertical bars represented "666"—the number of the beast.
Those three longer bars are simply start-and-stop bars for electronic reading. They have nothing to do with the number six. More importantly, Revelation 13:18 gives the number as "six hundred and sixty-six" (600 + 60 + 6), not "6-6-6."
But here's the deeper issue: why would a government need sophisticated technology to mark people with 666? Hitler managed to number Jewish prisoners with simple tattoos. If the mark were literal, no high-tech solution would be necessary.
In 2017, Three Square Market in Wisconsin offered employees voluntary microchip implants for building access and purchases. Over half of their 85 employees agreed to the program, sparking fresh "mark of the beast" speculation.
You never hear a government official say, 'We're here to hurt you.' No, it's always, 'We're here to help you.' The hurt comes later.
— Gary DeMar
DeMar wisely warns against microchip implants—not because they fulfill Revelation 13, but because they represent dangerous government overreach and privacy invasion.
Here's the question that dismantles the technological interpretation: If the mark of the beast is a physical implant, what about the mark of the Lamb?
"He causes all... to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead" (Rev. 13:16)
"...the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads" (Rev. 14:1)
Will Jesus implant microchips in the foreheads of the 144,000? If not, then both marks must be symbolic. The mark of the beast and the mark of the Lamb are parallel spiritual realities, not technological implementations.
Literal interpretation advocates are remarkably selective—they demand physical literalism for the mark but accept symbolic interpretation for the multi-headed beasts, the Lamb, and Mount Zion.
Like all of Revelation's imagery, the "mark on hand and forehead" has deep Old Testament roots that every Jewish reader would immediately recognize:
"And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth"
"These words... shall be on your heart... You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead"
Orthodox Jews still practice this literally with phylacteries (tefillin), but the deeper meaning is spiritual: complete devotion and obedience to God's law should mark every thought (forehead) and action (hand).
The mark represents total allegiance—either to God or to the beast. It's about worship, loyalty, and spiritual citizenship, not technological tracking.
DeMar provides the historical key that unlocks Revelation 13: the "buying and selling" refers to temple access, not economic transactions.
When Revelation speaks of "buying and selling," it uses spiritual language:
The Jewish religious establishment controlled temple access. Christians were gradually excluded from synagogues and temple worship for proclaiming Jesus as Messiah. Taking the "mark of the beast" meant denying Jesus and submitting to the Jewish-Roman religious system.
When Rome destroyed the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, the entire sacrificial system ended. The "beast" (the corrupt religious-political establishment) was defeated, and the true temple—Jesus Christ—was vindicated.
Revelation 13-14 presents two choices facing first-century Christians:
The fundamental issue was worship—whom would you serve? The beast demanded political and religious compromise, while the Lamb demanded exclusive loyalty even unto death.
What are today's equivalents of "taking the mark"—areas where society pressures Christians to compromise their faith for access or acceptance?
How can Christians be discerning about technology and government overreach without falling into prophecy panic?
Why is understanding Revelation's first-century context crucial for proper interpretation and contemporary application?
In what ways do Christians today demonstrate they bear the "mark of the Lamb" in their thoughts and actions?
Dispensationalism looks for future technological fulfillment and creates fear about modern innovations, while preterism recognizes the timeless spiritual principle: true allegiance is demonstrated by how we live, not by what technology we use or avoid.
Gary DeMar's analysis reveals that microchip hysteria misses the profound theological point of Revelation 13. The passage isn't a technology manual—it's a worship test.
Christians should be concerned about government overreach and privacy invasion—but for constitutional and practical reasons, not prophetic panic. We don't need Revelation to tell us that government control of citizens is dangerous.
The real question isn't whether you have a microchip—it's whether your life demonstrates allegiance to Christ the King or compromise with worldly systems that demand conformity over faithfulness.